Chapter Twelve
VICTORIA
T wo birds outside dip and dive, chasing each other like I’ve seen kids often do in the park. They chirp and tweet, making joyful sounds as they fly past my office window. I should be working, but I can’t take my eyes away from them.
“Victoria?” Avery says, exasperated.
“Hmm?” I say, not looking away from the window.
“I’ve called your name three times. Are you alright?”
With a final glance at the playful animals, I turn to my friend and boss. “I guess.”
“You’ve been checked out since James went to join his team. Are you sure nothing happened between the two of you?”
“Nothing,” I say.
It really was nothing. If you count making a connection with someone unlike anyone you’ve ever met, kissing him by the town’s wishing well, and having him confess his feelings for you right before leaving to catch a flight out of town, ‘nothing.’
“I don’t believe you.” She sits beside me, placing her hand on my arm. “Talk to me, Vic.”
“Am I crazy for wanting to try and make this work?”
“No, why would you be?”
“Because if I say it out loud to myself, it sounds ridiculous. He’s a professional hockey player. I’m an elf.”
“I mean, I think any profession paired with an elf would sound odd,” Avery says with a smirk.
“He lives in Vancouver,” I say, ignoring how right she is about being an elf.
“So did Matthew. We made it work.”
“Yes, but he was planning on moving here. James is committed there.”
“And if it’s meant to be, you’ll find a way to make it work.” She takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know this is fast, but it'll work out if it’s meant to be. Matthew and I moved faster than I ever thought possible, and I’ve never been happier.”
“And I’m happy for you, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone.”
“No, it doesn’t. But you need to have faith.” She looks down at her watch. “Oh my goodness, I need to get going. I promised Hannah I’d meet her for some wedding planning.”
“But you don’t get married until Christmas. That’s months from now, and it’s going to be here in town. Plus, you and Matthew are two of the most low-key people ever. How much could there possibly be to do right now?”
“You know Hannah’s really excited to open her events business. She wants to make sure that our wedding goes off without a hitch, especially because it’ll be her first event. As she says, it’ll all be ‘by the book.’ She’s using every step of the planning to build her social media presence. We have to do our cake testing, settle the food with the caterer…”
“Of course, I forgot how much goes into planning it.” I look back out the window, feeling even sadder for some reason.
“I was thinking—you should take the lead on organizing the summer camps.”
“What? Me? Why?”
“Because you’re the best at what you do, and I think you can handle it. Also, it would be a huge help for me while I get the majority of my wedding planning done. Plus, all the setup and planning can be done remotely.”
“Why would I do that?” I turn to her, finding her with a smile on her face.
“Oh, I don’t know. In case you wanted to take a trip down to Vancouver to see a Lumberjacks game.”
“Avery, I can’t do that.”
“Why not? Didn’t you say he would leave you tickets for the home games? Cash it in! Go book yourself a hotel and see him.”
“You’re forgetting that elves also don’t get paid much money. I can’t afford a hotel in downtown Vancouver.”
“Then it’s a good thing I need someone to bring me a snow cone maker I bought. I was going to wait until Matthew visits his office in Vancouver, but this is even better. Now you can get a hotel for the night and book it as a business expense. It’ll be cheaper than me paying for shipping.”
“That would be…amazing. I just have one question. Was there something special about this one? Why does it have to be picked up in Vancouver instead of delivered?”
“Oh, this isn’t just any snow cone maker. This one is shaped like a snowman and goes with the sprinkler I bought.”
“Sprinkler?”
“Yes, it’s a lifesize reindeer sprinkler. Since the park we’re going to run the summer camp out of doesn’t have a pool or access to a lake, I thought it would be a fun way to cool them down.”
“And it’s shaped like a reindeer…”
“Of course. It may be summer, but this is still Gingerbread Grove.”
“Of course,” I laugh. “Thank you, Avery.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go home and start packing. I’ll book the hotel for you, and then you can get on the road.”
I giggle, jumping up and giving Avery a big hug. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go. You have a hockey player to see and a snow cone machine to pick up.”
I gather my things and rush out of the office. I’ve never been so excited to go to the city. I just hope I’ll be able to make it in time for the game.”
I’ve never felt so overwhelmed in my life.
First, the traffic getting into the city raised my blood pressure. Then, I had to find parking near the arena, which was a nightmare in itself. I thought it would be smooth sailing to my seat once I got to the box office and got my tickets.
Boy, was I wrong.
The crowd walking around the concourse makes it difficult to navigate my way to my section. I’d hoped to stop for dinner, but the game is about to start, and I don’t want to miss a second of James on the ice.
Pushing through the crowd with a muttered ‘sorry,’ I sigh when I see the sign with my section number. Those bright lights are like a beacon, leading me to where I need to be.
“Can I see your ticket, please?” the host asks.
“Yes, sorry.” I pull out my paper ticket and hold it up to her.
“Row twelve to the right. Enjoy the game.” She dismisses me politely as she greets the next fan.
I carefully make my way down the steps, noting how steep they are. Knowing my luck, I would trip and fall down, making a scene before getting to my seat. That’s the last thing I want to happen, especially since I’ll be sitting in a seat James got me.
“Oh, are you a new WAG?” a woman asks me as I lower into my seat.
“A…what?” I ask.
She’s pretty with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She has a baby on her lap decked out in a tiny Lumberjacks jersey. The rings on her left hand are blinding in the bright stadium lights. I have to look away for my own safety.
“Sorry, a wife or girlfriend of one of the players.”
My mind goes blank as I think of how to answer. “I, uh, sort of?”
She laughs. “How are you ‘sort of’ a WAG?”
“It’s new? I just met James not long ago…”
“Northman? James Northman got you this ticket?” she says loudly.
The two women beside her stop talking and look at us, both surprised.
“Uh, yes.”
“Tracey, did you hear that? Northman got a ticket for someone.”
“I heard.”
“Sorry, why is this so surprising? Should I not be here?”
“No, sorry,” the blonde says, shifting the baby in her lap. “He’s just never used his family tickets for anyone other than his parents before. We’re just in a bit of shock. I’m Amanda; I’m married to Jake Hammond. This is Tracey and Natasha. They’re WAGs, too. And this little guy here is Marcus.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Victoria.” I wave at Marcus, completely enthralled with him, as he starts to giggle.
“Where did you meet James? You said it’s recent, and he just had that leave of absence. We didn’t hear anything about a girlfriend before he left.”
“No, we, uh, met while he was away. In Gingerbread Grove.”
“Wait, that’s a real place? We thought he was just joking.” Natasha says.
“Nope, it’s a real place,” I laugh.
“And it’s really a Christmas town year-round?” Tracey asks.
“Yup. I just moved there, so I haven’t seen it in its full Christmas glory yet, but I can’t wait to.”
“You moved to a Christmas town?” Natasha asks. “What is there to do there?”
“I’m an elf.”
Tracey nearly chokes on her drink. “Sorry, did you say you’re an elf?”
“Yes, I work for a company called C.O.C.O.A. It’s a non-profit that delivers Christmas to families that otherwise couldn’t afford it.”
“So, you’re actually like Santa’s helper. But taller. And with better clothes,” Amanda says.
I laugh. “You could say that.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but are you Victoria Bell?” a man with a ‘customer service’ vest asks.
“I am,” I say.
“Mr. Northman wants you to have this. He also insists that you order whatever you want for food and drink. Here’s a card with a QR code for the menu. You can enter your selection when you’re ready, and I’ll bring it to you.”
“Wow, uh, thank you.” I accept the bag and card and watch as he runs back up the stairs
Runs. As if he has no fear of taking a tumble. I’m jealous.
“This just gets better,” Tracey says.
Reaching into the bag, I pull out the fabric. It has ‘Northman’ in large letters on the back with what I’m assuming is his number.
“His jersey!” Amanda exclaims
“Ooh, he’s serious,” Natasha says.
“Put it on,” Tracey encourages.
I look to the ice, but the players aren’t in sight. I want to thank James and let him know how thoughtful he is. I had agreed to wear his jersey, but I didn’t expect him to bring one to me or to take care of my dinner.
Slipping my cross-body bag over my head, I put it to the side and slip on the jersey. It’s more comfortable than I thought it would be and not as heavy-weight.
“It’s official now,” Amanda says.
I can’t help but smile, knowing she’s right.